Some jurisdictions have mandated that certain firearms like auto-loading pistols have a feature that prevents them from firing with the magazine removed. This is intended to address the possibility of negligent discharges occurring due to misuse by someone who removes the magazine, assumes the gun is unloaded, and then violates firearm safety rules by pointing it at someone and pulling the trigger.
Various magazine safety mechanisms have been employed to meet this legal requirement. However, they all place the firearm's trigger bar and/or trigger under stress if a user attempts to fire the handgun with the magazine removed. For instance, an element that blocks the trigger movement when a magazine is removed is vulnerable to failure under excessive trigger pressure. Furthermore, the firearm functions properly if the magazine safety feature is removed. This enables users to make unsafe modifications to their weapons without compromising their operation.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved firearm with a magazine disconnector that disconnects the firearm's trigger from the hammer if the magazine is not fully installed in the magazine well. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the firearm with magazine disconnector according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of disconnecting the firearm's trigger bar from the hammer if the magazine is not fully installed in the magazine well, thereby preventing discharge even if the trigger is pulled while a round resides in the firearm's chamber.